Nigeria’s leading glass and aluminium solutions company, ABUMET, has donated a fully equipped digital learning centre to Race Course Model Primary School in Kano State, in a move aimed at expanding access to technology and strengthening digital literacy among pupils.
The intervention, carried out as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, provides the school with 24 desktop computers, solar-powered electricity infrastructure and new classroom furniture for pupils and teachers.
The project is expected to give hundreds of pupils access to practical computer education and create a more conducive environment for learning.
For many of the pupils, the facility represents their first meaningful opportunity to interact with modern digital technology, potentially exposing them to new ways of learning, creativity and problem-solving.
Speaking during the CSR visit to the school, ABUMET General Manager, Diemo Schillack, said the project was driven by the company’s desire to bridge the digital divide and ensure that children were not excluded from the opportunities presented by the technology-driven economy.
Schillack said access to technology at an early age could play an important role in shaping pupils’ educational experiences and preparing them for future careers.
He said, “We believe every child deserves access to quality learning tools and the opportunity to develop skills that will prepare them for the future.”
The ABUMET general manager added that technology had become an integral part of everyday life, stressing that early exposure to digital tools would give the pupils a stronger foundation for their education and future careers.
He expressed appreciation to the school management and pupils for the warm reception accorded the company’s team, describing their enthusiasm for the initiative as encouraging.
Schillack also reaffirmed ABUMET’s commitment to supporting education and community development, saying the company planned to return to the school within a year to assess the pupils’ progress and determine the impact of the learning centre.
The Head Teacher of Race Course Model Primary School, Salisu Alhassan, commended ABUMET for the intervention, describing the donation as a significant addition to the school’s educational resources.
Alhassan, who spoke on behalf of the school management, teachers, pupils, parents and community stakeholders, said the provision of computers, solar power and furniture would improve teaching and learning, particularly in digital literacy.
He said the school had put measures in place to ensure that pupils benefited from the facility despite its large enrolment.
According to him, pupils are divided into smaller groups during computer lessons to give each learner adequate opportunity to participate and gain practical experience.
“We organise the pupils into smaller groups so that everyone has the opportunity to participate and learn,” Alhassan said.
He explained that the objective of the programme went beyond teaching pupils basic computer operations, noting that the school also wanted them to understand how technology could be applied to learning, problem-solving and everyday activities.
The head teacher said pupils were already being introduced to applications such as Microsoft Office, while developing practical skills in writing, calculations, record-keeping and information management.
He added that the computer education programme becomes progressively more advanced from Primary Four to Primary Six, allowing pupils to build their digital competence before transitioning to secondary school.
Alhassan said the new infrastructure would also help address some of the challenges associated with delivering practical digital education in a school with a large population.
Established in 1996, Race Course Model Primary School currently has about 600 pupils spread across 14 classrooms and provides education from Early Childhood Care and Education to Primary Six.
The donation therefore provides the school with additional resources to integrate practical technology education into its existing curriculum and expose pupils to digital skills at an early stage of their education.
